grow
rich.

Paul Hoffman had often thought of Phil, and how he had fared. He was
indeed surprised and pleased when the young fiddler walked up and called
him by name.

"Phil," he exclaimed, grasping his hand heartily, "I am very glad to see
you. Have you made a fortune?"

"He has found a father," said Dr. Drayton, speaking for Phil, "who wants
to thank you for your past kindness to his son."

"It was nothing," said Paul, modestly.

"It was a great deal to Phil, for, except your family, he had no
friends."

To this Paul made a suitable reply, and gave Phil and his new father
an earnest invitation to dine with him. This the doctor declined, but
agreed to call at the rooms of Mrs. Hoffman, if Paul would agree to come
and pass the next Sunday with Phil as his visitor. Paul accepted the
invitation with pleasure, and it is needless to say that he received a
hearty welcome and agreed, in the approaching summer, to make another
visit.

And now we bid farewell to Phil, the young, street musician. If his
life henceforth shall be less crowded with adventures, and so less
interesting, it is because he has been fortunate in securing a good
home. Some years hence the Doctor promises to give himself a vacation,
and take Phil with him to Europe, where he will seek out his Italian
home, and the mother with whom he has already opened communication
by letter. So we leave Phil in good hands, and with the prospect of a
prosperous career. But there are hundreds of young street musicians
who have not met with his good fortune, but are compelled, by hard
necessity, to submit to the same privations and hardships from which he
is happily relieved. May a brighter day dawn for them also!

I hope my readers feel an interest in Paul Hoffman, the young street
merchant, who proved so efficient a friend to our young hero. His
earlier adventures are chronicled in "Paul, the Peddler." His later
history will be chronicled in the next volume of this series, which will
be entitled "Slow and Sure; or From the Sidewalk to the Shop."

THE END

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phil the Fiddler, by Horatio Alger, Jr.

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHIL THE FIDDLER ***

***** This file should be named 671.txt or 671.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/6/7/671/

Produced by Charles Keller and David Widger

Updated editions will replace the previous